It's In Our Blood
by LittlePari
Summary: Eric Northman had a progeny before Pam- a woman who was his lover before being turned. Centuries later, she has a progeny of her own with no intention of introducing him to his bloodline. But Bon Temps' favorite Viking never takes no for an answer. Especially when trouble is brewing. Slightly non-canon, set before S4.
1. Chapter 1

_I have lived over a hundred years._

 _For humans, that's a long time, longer than the norm. These days, it's rare somebody makes it past the eightieth mark. Death is never a choice, and often it takes us before we are ready to go. I have lived decades of history, cheating death at every turn; never succumbed to even the most rampant of illnesses, dodged any bullet that struck the hearts of young men during war, lived longer than any woman I have ever loved._

 _One might say I am a god._

 _I am the farthest thing from a god._

 _Years ago, I was turned from human to a creature I had only read about in books; a supernatural being, beyond the average, everyday life of a mortal. The kind of creature you were told scary stories about, the face of one of the most famous literary works in the world. A creature more powerful than anything, walking on an Earth that still struggles to accept him, no matter what the law states. Sustaining not on food and water, but on blood. Human blood. Cold. Immortal. Dead._

 _A vampire._

 _My name is Alex Maslar._

 _I have been a vampire for one hundred and ten years._

* * *

 **ALEX**

It was black as pitch when I opened my eyes. My body's sleep cycle, much like any vampire's, always seemed to calculate precisely when the sun went down, signaling the green light for us to wake from our coffins and start our day. Or rather, our night.

I lifted the lid and pulled myself up, rolling my neck and taking a deep breath. Over a century and I still had these human habits when I woke. What can I say? You never can forget your roots. I put the lid back, not bothering to put the coffin away. It was temporary until my new bed came in. With a new home came new furniture.

I could already sense that Joanna was awake; she never slept longer than I did. I left my room to see her seated comfortably at her desk in the corner of the living, a bottle of half-drunk Type O True Blood next to her silver Mac, typing away furiously. She had on glasses which amused me; it wasn't as if she needed them, though when she was human, they were necessary. Like I said, human roots were hard to abandon.

"Morning sunshine," she spoke, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Sleep well?"

"The same," I shrugged, running a hand through my hair.

"Haven't changed yet," she noted, still not looking over at me. "Somebody's clearly not ready to start his evening."

I rolled my eyes. Being Joanna's progeny was a lot like having an overachieving older sister. She had a whopping six hundred years on me, which means she's seen more history than I've ever read about in books. I had yet to meet her maker, but considering her nature, I assumed it ran in the family.

I walked over to the kitchen, aware of how hungry I was. True Blood wasn't exactly the tastiest beverage, but it kept us going and I was grateful some consideration was given to how vampires could walk this earth without killing.

This all sounds extremely bizarre. Allow me to explain.

Vampires walk among humans now; they take part in recreational activities, run businesses, have jobs, date, have sex, all of that. The only difference is, they live forever, with the exception of several methods of murder (wooden stakes, silver, metal, the sun, all the things they write about in horror fiction) They drink blood, and years ago, the Japanese developed a synthetic type of blood called True Blood to keep us going and prevent us from feeding off humans. Recently, more accommodations have been made. Some humans prostitute themselves as feeding objects for vampires and charge to get bit. Some take pleasure in it and do it free- not entirely, anyway. We get their blood, they get ours. Much in the way we crave actual blood, vampire blood is like crack to humans. They heal faster, have more energy, and are _incredibly_ sexually charged. But a lot like crack, too much of it and they can lose their minds along with their lives.

I myself have had the pleasure of many humans being mine over the years; mostly women, but the sixties were different times. I had a few experimentations here and there with men, but if I'm being totally honest, I prefer women. I'm not one to pay to feed; I'm picky with my company. All the company that I've fed off of, I was involved with; ninety percent of the time, sexually. It was rare I fell in love and though the one or two times I did, it never lasted. Being who I am, maintaining relationships was a task on its own. I realized the only true commitment I'd ever have was with my maker.

My whole vampire life, I had been attached at the hip with Joanna. Family is a different concept among vampires; your attachment to your maker is the strongest bond you will ever have. It goes beyond father and daughter, mother and son, so on and so forth. Joanna is singlehandedly the most important person in my life and I would die a thousand true deaths for her. And she would for me. This was the only thing I was ever certain of, and so why I chose a life free of romantic involvement.

We'd traveled the world together, places I had only ever dreamt of going to, shared a bed here and there. We had seen everything, from world wars to the Great Depression, to the movements of the sixties, and the eras of new music of the seventies and eighties. Presidents changed before my eyes and I stayed the ripe age of twenty-four through it all. Not a wrinkle on my face or a wisp of gray in my hair. I was strong, intelligent, quick- and not to make myself appear pretentious, but I'm not so bad looking either. "I wouldn't have turned you if I didn't think you attractive," Joanna would always joke. We'll get to the story behind her turning me later. For now, I was focused on satisfying my hunger before reminiscing in the good times.

I popped a bottle of Type O into the microwave and warmed it up before taking the first sip. The aftertaste was there but I couldn't complain. I had yet to explore our new home. Joanna and I had just moved to a famous little city known as Beverly Hills after spending two years in Chicago, giving birth and raising another new addition to our hospitality business known as Vessel Towers. It was specifically designed to cater to vampires but humans were welcome as well; we'd been raking it in ever since we started our first one Seattle seven years ago. Since then, we've expanded to every popular city on the map, which was why we traveled so much. Joanna was already looking to go further, overseas even; she never liked to stay in one place long, though if I were being honest, we spent a fairly longer amount of time when we were in Louisiana than any other place, seeing as her maker was there. I knew little about him, but it was best not to probe any further with Joanna.

"Getting ready for construction?" I asked, leaning against the kitchen counter and tipping the bottle into my mouth for another drink.

Joanna finally looked up, removing her hands from the keyboard. "Should be ready to start soon. But doing business with Californians is like asking for a death sentence in court," She removed her glasses and got a good look at me. "You'd think down in the ol' South, they'd be stricter towards our kind but it's looking like we'll be fighting with liberals more than we will with the hicks."

I shrugged. "People are weird everywhere we go, but it's never stopped us before." I dumped the empty bottle in the trash. "You need me tonight or am I free to explore?"

Joanna sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "What are you up to tonight, Alex?"

She spoke calmly but she had a cheeky tint to her lips. I smiled at her; she knew me best and that I liked to have fun wherever we went. Joanna may have had her troubles with the douchebags in suits but if I remembered anything about the West Coast, its that California girls were something else and couldn't wait to get my hands- and sink my fangs- into a few.

"What I do every time we move from one city to the next." I turned and walked towards my room. "Make it home!"

I opened the door to my room and turned my head back to look at her. "I'll be in the shower. You wanna join me tonight?"

Her lips curled into a smile and she shook her head. "Not in your wildest dreams." She put her glasses back. "Make good choices. And don't bring anybody home. You've yet to unpack."

I rolled my eyes, tossed her an irritable, "Okay, _Mom_ " and closed the door behind me.

* * *

 **JOANNA**

I shook my head as I watched Alex walk back into his room but at the same time, I felt my heart swell. These were the moments where I felt an indescribable amount of love for my progeny- he was like a son, brother, lover, father, all combined into one figure to me. A good chunk of my life had been spent with him, something I never thought possible after five hundred of it being spent with my own maker. Before Alex, I never thought I could feel love for my own child the way my maker felt for me.

When I turned him, I realized how wrong I'd been, and it was the only time I ever felt happy to have been wrong.

"Over a century," I muttered, leaning back in my chair. I glanced back to the screen. Being the head of a successful business wasn't always glamorous. I had spent a large part of my vampire life following my maker around the world, never really making a name for myself. When we parted, he left me a considerable amount of money, enough for Alex and I to do our own exploring and expanding. We'd had odd jobs over the years but in the twenty first century, we finally settled into a line of business that was growing on the daily. I was proud of our product but all the days of meetings, dealing with finances and licensing and hardheaded "anti-fanger" assholes had me wishing I was still in bed with my maker somewhere in Europe, away from this madness, despite whatever bitterness I held for him now.

But having Alex kept me going. And for that, I couldn't complain.

As I scrolled through a list of unread emails, the sound of my phone tore my gaze away from the laptop. I stopped short at the name that appeared on the screen. Speak of the devil. _Eric._

I slid my finger across the screen and pressed the phone to my ear, keeping my voice calm and controlled. "Eric," I greeted, though even as a vampire, I felt my insides shaking,

I could hear the smirk in his smooth voice. "Miss me?"

I bit my lip. "I'm neutral."

"Don't lie to me, sweetheart. I made you. I can already sense it."

I closed my eyes for a second and reopened them. "Alex is still home. Don't start."

"Ah yes, your progeny. The one I've yet to meet." I heard a movement in the background and the sound of a door closing. "How is my grandchild?"

"He's doing fine." I supported the phone with my shoulder and started playing with my glasses in my hands. It was a nervous habit, something only Eric Northman, the one who made me, could do. "About to enjoy another night out in our new city."

"As he should. Los Angeles has quite a nightlife."

My brows furrowed. I had never told him our next city would be LA. "How do you-?"

"Joanna, do you expect not to know what my progenies are up to? You might still want to pretend we never spent five hundred years together, but I'm particularly careful not to let you stray off my grid. Besides…" another movement. "We both know you'd come back. You proved that when you started up in New Orleans."

A lump started to form in my throat. I hated when he spoke like this- like he hadn't completely betrayed me. He could bring up all he wanted how our lives were practically one and that I was forever weak in the knees for him; but it didn't change the century-old resentment I felt towards him for what he did to me.

I exhaled. "What is it, Eric? What do you want?"

Eric's tone shifted a little. "I have to be in California for a few days. I have… business to attend to. And I was hoping I could have a place to stay, and seeing as a Vessel Tower has yet to arrive…"

I stiffened. "I can arrange something for you."

"Don't be rude," Eric crooned, "Show a little respect for your maker."

"You can't stay here," I snapped, turning my chair around, hoping Alex was taking his time getting ready. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "This is not a good time to get in the middle of my plans, Eric. You may be my maker but you do not have the right to intrude."

"Who says I'll intrude? I'll be a well-behaved guest," he responded calmly. "And I'll get a chance to meet my grandson. I've been wanting to do so for a while now. Can't hide me forever, Joanna."

I closed my eyes again, hearing him say my name. "Eric… please."

"Not the time you usually beg me." I wanted to smack him for the amount of cockiness that emitted from his voice. Not that it would do anything.

"This is not the time to come here," I continued, "We've just moved, I'm barely getting this project going, and Alex… I don't know how he'll deal with it."

"He's old enough," Eric replied. "He's not a baby vamp anymore. I think he's ready to meet the rest of his family."

My nostrils flared upon hearing the word rest. "Don't. You. Dare. Eric. Northman."

Eric laughed. "Put the fangs away, honey. It's just going to be me. Don't worry. Pam can hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"I never said yes."

"You don't have a choice." I froze as the smooth voice turned a little cold and hard. It was clear that he was no longer playing around and I really didn't have a say in any of this.

"You don't have power," I murmured, "You released me a long time ago."

"I don't need it. Not with you. You're still mine. You will listen to me, Joanna van Eyck. And you will obey."

I pursed my lips together and for the third time, squeezed my eyes shut. But it was already too late. The warm red trickles of blood already began to crawl down my cheekbones. "As you say," I choked, lips trembling as I spoke. Vulnerability was not my favorite quality to display, not even to Eric. At that moment I heard shuffling in Alex's room and immediately wiped my eyes and straightened up. "Just let me know when you'll be here and I'll make arrangements."

"Good girl," Eric murmured. "And trust me. I won't be any trouble."

Taking a moment to clear my throat and making sure my eyes were clear, I swiveled my chair back around. "We'll see about that." Without a goodbye, I ended the call. It wasn't ideal behavior towards a maker; progenies do as their makers command. Defying them was a death wish. But my relationship with Eric was different. He would never kill me; and soon, I would be face to face with him. He would meet Alex.

My eyes were already locked back onto the screen when Alex appeared in the doorway, dressed for the night. "Sure you don't wanna join me?" He asked, walking over to the closet where we'd had the opportunity to hang a few jackets and coats. "You're always working, Joanna. Work too hard, you might turn human and start aging early."

"Ha ha," I tossed off a sarcastic laugh, "Maybe another night. I've got a lot on my plate. Don't get too used to it. I'm putting you to work pretty soon."

Alex chuckled. "I'll be back in time for sunrise. Don't wait up."

"Never do." I smiled and watched him exit the door. It disappeared slowly as I played the scenario in my head of Eric meeting Alex for the first time.

It was not so much my own resentment towards Eric that had me hesitant for this meeting; it was more so how Eric would react to Alex. Me personally, I was so, _so_ proud of my progeny. He had never been difficult; training him had been a breeze, which is more than I can say for myself. Eric had had trouble with me for a long time; it was as if once I turned, I entirely lost touch with myself, and it was a decision we both had come to. But once I got used to it, I latched on even harder to Eric and never let go. Alex was the same; together and even on his own, so much had been achieved.

Would my maker be proud? Could he appreciate what I had done for myself with my own progeny? Or would I forever be the little girl wrapped around Eric Northman's thumb?

No matter what the betrayal, I loved him. But I still feared him too.

I ignored the thoughts in my head as I continued to distract myself with work. Worrying about Eric could happen later. Right now, I had a damn business to run.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 **ERIC**

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

He put the phone down on the table.

The smirk that had adorned Eric Northman's face for almost the whole phone conversation quickly vanished and in its place was his usual cold, stoic expression. He knew his older was still held bitter feelings towards him but he didn't think she would be this opposed to seeing him again. Though Eric had always gotten a kick out of teasing her, he would never invade her space and intentionally try to shake her, especially in a time where she was doing business and couldn't be bothered. Eric Northman knew himself and he knew that his presence wasn't exactly the most warm and welcoming; it sent an odd feeling coursing through his stomach when he thought of how five hundred years together made no difference to Joanna; she still felt a certain way around him, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

Eric sat back in his chair and looked off into the small distance that was his office of him and Pam's business, Fangtasia. Running businesses ran in the bloodline, that was for sure. But Eric couldn't waste too much time thinking of his older progeny; there was another matter tugging at his mind, and it came in the form of a slim, five foot five, blond-haired, gifted (for lack of better word) woman- Sookie Stackhouse.

She had been missing for over half a year, and the whole of Bon Temps had all but given up, even her brother, Jason Stackhouse, and her former lover, Bill Compton. By now, Eric should've given up as well, and everybody told him too, especially his second progeny, Pam. He knew how she felt about him- rolling her eyes, tossing off a snarky remark about giving up on the blonde broad or using sheep to " lure Lil Bo Peep back to her farm". And it wasn't as if Eric was sitting around and mourning her absence- he still had a business to run, an Area to look over, and an image to remedy; all thanks to the damage done by Russell Edgington, the American Vampire League and the cold bitch Nan Flanagan were on him and Bill's case to do damage repair. To add insult to injury, they made fucking Compton king of Louisiana. There was more than enough on Eric's plate to not worry so much about a missing Southern girl.

But a part of him knew Sookie was still out there, and he wasn't planning on letting the matter go; everyone else could give up, but he never would. Not until he got what he wanted.

"Was she happy to hear from you?"

Eric calmly turned his gaze to the door where stood Pam, dressed in her true fashion, not a smear of makeup out of place. She had her hands on her hips and a smirk was playing on the corners of her mouth, a few sarcastic quips already brewing in her mind. "How's my older sister and her precious son?"

"I'm sure she'll warm up to the idea of having him bond with a member of his family for a few days," Eric responded.

"What did you tell her?" Pam crossed over to the front of his desk. "Why are you going there?"

"Shouldn't somebody be running my bar?" Eric questioned, making eye contact with his progeny.

"Eric," she pressed. "Honestly, I'm not Miss Dutch-Rich-Bitch-With-A-Stick-Up-Her-Ass. I'm not going to flip over this table if you tell me what your plan is."

"What if I just want to go meet my grandson?" Eric shrugged.

Pam didn't break her gaze. "You don't operate that way, Eric. And Joanna's spent a hell of a longer time with you than me, she wouldn't buy that either."

Eric didn't respond so she straightened up and crossed her arms. "Don't tell me this has anything to do with the fairy princess."

"Don't flip over this table now," Eric smiled.

His progeny let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes. "Enough with this already. The blonde broad's gone. And what are you thinking, that she'll be all the way out there in Cali-fucking-fornia?"

"Anything is possible, Pam. And like I said, it's possible I just want to visit some family," the Viking replied, leaning back in his chair. "The last time Joanna and I came in contact, I respected her wishes and stayed away from Alex and kept the two of you away from each other, under the condition she helped me find Godric." Eric felt his throat lock and looked the other way. Talking about Godric never got any easier, no matter how much time had passed since his maker faced the true death. "I was hoping us coming together to save a member of the bloodline would bring her back. But it only created a bigger divide… especially since Godric died."

Pam's narrowed eyes softened a little but she kept her arms crossed. "She made her choice, Eric. She wanted nothing to do with you. Because of me. You're chasing a brick wall. Just _what_ is with you and going after women who clearly don't want to be found?"

She paced the floor. "And what does Joanna have to do with finding Sookie? You think banding up together to find your little sheep herder is gonna reunite the family?"

"Pam," Eric started, a warning edge to his tone but his progeny didn't stop. "Or is this all just an excuse to rekindle some died out flame you both had? Eric…" Pam faced him. "Your life is here. With me. I would do anything you ask- I would kill for you. Can Joanna say the same? Can Sookie? Can _anybody_ but me?"

Eric clenched his fist. It was a very rare occasion that anybody was capable of crossing a line with him but an even rarer occasion he let it be known. Today was not one of those occasions. "Then do what I am asking you now- go out there and run our fucking business, Pam."

Pam's nostrils flared but she didn't speak another word. Turning on a six-inch heel, she paused in the doorway before turning back and saying, "Your family is already here, Eric. Do yourself a favor and don't torture yourself by looking any further." With that, she was back out in the front, running their business as she was told.

There was some truth to what Pam was saying- if anything, not a damn thing about her lecture was false. Eric wanted Sookie but he'd been wanting his older progeny back for even longer. And he wasn't the type to not get what he wanted, no matter the cost. Things were different in the present than what had occurred when Joanna had last been there- she had refused to talk about the past, Sookie was still Bill's, Godric was still alive…

It was terrible that he had to use the excuse of Sookie's disappearance to coax Joanna out of her ego shell, but much like what had happened with Godric, the timing could have been more ironically perfect. He'd already lost his maker. He wasn't about to lose the rest of his family too. Regardless of what Pam insisted was the better choice, Eric was going to get his way. His progeny, his family together, and the fairy princess.

Eric turned to his computer at that moment. He had a trip to book.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Not much to say here, except hope you're all enjoying the story! It's been years since I've written fanfiction and I may be a bit rusty so constructive critique is always welcome! Side note, if anything is in Eric's perspective, it's going to be from third person POV. Idk why, I prefer writing him that way rather than in the first person. Please review, give a follow and favorite if you like, and keep a lookout for the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

ALEX

"He's late," Joanna muttered, checking the gold watch on her pale wrist for the umpteenth time. We sat in the conference room of what was currently in the process of being transformed into a new addition to the Vessel Towers family. We were meeting with the manager for the first time, where he'd learn of all the responsibilities that came with servicing bloodsuckers. This loosely translated to him being introduced to the world of doing business with vampires, something I was positive Mr. Hugo Castillo wasn't the least bit versed in.

"It's only two minutes, J," I pointed out, unfazed by Joanna's anal tendencies. I wondered what she was like in a past century, but for the time I had known her, she had always been a Type A individual, no pun intended that we drink blood. Failure was not an option, nothing short of perfection, and punctuality was priority numbers one, two, and three. Poor Castillo. Thankfully, as her second in command, I could be there for him if she ever bared her fangs in annoyance.

"Our time is precious," she insisted, shooting me a look. Both of us had ignored our chilled, complimentary bottles of True Blood, though I was hoping this meeting could wrap up early; the other night's exploration of my new home didn't leave me satisfied; the area hadn't changed much since we'd last been here, but I was certain if I spent more time looking, I could find ways- and people- to entertain myself with. With how Joanna worked me to the ground at times, I had to be able to make time for myself to do my own thing to cool off from running a business

"Got that right. I barely got to the good parts of the city last time," I nodded, sitting back in my chair. "LA girls are so… well, they haven't changed at all. You'd be surprised how one's attitude can really ruin your appetite, no matter how good they smell."

Joanna cracked a smile. "Don't get burned out too fast, we're going to be here for a while."

"Trust me, I'm only getting started," I smiled back. "How bout you? Am I ever gonna get your ass off your desk chair and out in the open with me? I know the world's probably boring as balls for your old self, but…"

She playfully nudged me. "Don't start with the age jokes, _kid_."

"Yeah okay, grandma." To my surprise, Joanna's smile faltered a little when I said the last word. I raised an eyebrow. "Okay… I'll stick to 'mom' then."

She shook her head and forced a smile this time. "Oh no, it's… it's fine."

"For what it's worth, you don't look a day over six hundred," I joked. The smile stayed but there was something else in Joanna's eyes- almost a look of worry. It had me wondering what I could've possibly said to trigger such a look. Joanna tore her gaze away from me and looked down at the papers she had in front of her, tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the table, a habit of hers that only appeared when she was nervous. Something was definitely going on. "J, are you sure you're alright?" I pushed.

She closed her eyes and slowly re-opened them. "Alex," she started, "There's something I need to tell y"-

"I am so sorry I'm late!" We both actually jumped at the sound of a third voice in the room, having been so deep into our own conversation. In walked a tall, tanned man dressed in an crisp, expensive looking suit- the new manager of our hotel, Hugo Castillo.

Joanna and I stood up promptly, our almost-heated conversation melting away. "It's no problem, Mr. Castillo," Joanna started smoothly, the annoyance from before a long-gone memory. She stuck out one of her slender arms for a shake. "I'm Joanna van Eyck, and this my partner, Alex Maslar."

Hugo reached forward and shook our hands rather enthusiastically, flashing a neat row of white teeth. He had dark features and flecks of gray in his air that flattered him more than anything. I amused myself with the idea of him actually making a good vampire. You don't have to be the most gorgeous specimen to attract crowds of people if you are one. With his looks and a set of fangs, he would be one hell of a vampire. And good for business. But Joanna always told me to drop that fantasy because, and in her most Joanna-esque tone, she'd say, "We're trying to build a relationship with humans, not turn the world into the walking dead."

"It's so nice to finally meet," he spoke, "Call me obsessive but I've been following Vessel's progress since it first started. It's amazing, what you've done and such an honor to be a part of the business"- Hugo went on and on, something Joanna and I were used to. It wasn't anything new that human managers were so mesmerized by us- obviously people who wanted to work with us enjoyed our company, and then some. The opportunity to do business with vampires and maintain friendly relations with them was almost like being a part of an exclusive club. I reveled in the attention but there were times I got bored of it. It would be a refreshing change to come across a human who shrugged after seeing my fangs.

We sat back down and Joanna immediately went to business. "So Mr. Castillo, let's start with some basic details."

And, I'm tuning out, I thought to myself, sitting back in my seat and watching their exchange. I had done so many of these and Joanna was usually the one to take the reigns from the get-go so I would hang out for the first five minutes or so in my own thoughts before jumping in. But tonight felt like more of a drag, especially since the both of us had been interrupted mid-conversation. And I knew my maker- I knew she had something serious to say. There were about three things in the world that could turn Joanna from ice queen to a bottle of panic that had been shaken before being opened. One, the most obvious, something happening to me. And when I had first been turned, she'd had a lot of those episodes. Two, something happening to her business, and it would have to be damn serious for her to lose her sense of calmness. And three, her maker. Seeing him, talking about him, thinking about him. Just _him_. Considering I was in perfectly normal condition and we were just getting started with a new Vessel, there was a very good chance the last option was the most plausible.

Like I've mentioned before, I don't know much about my "grandfather." Joanna won't even tell me his name and forbids me from trying to find out (as a respect to one's maker, a progeny has to follow their orders). I got close to knowing when we were in New Orleans- Joanna had spent a few days on business separate from the hotel, some "secretive, vampire business", by the orders of a higher power. And I knew enough that I could run things on my own, but it didn't mean I wasn't curious as to where the hell she'd been. When she had come back, there was a sadness to her I had never felt from her before- like she'd lost a member of her family. But as far as I knew, the only person Joanna cared about was me, considering how she insisted us two were the only ones we'd had. But there was more to her story, and I'm positive it has to do with her maker. I just haven't had the chance to find out.

"We just need to make sure your staff is aware of who their clientele would be." The sound of my maker's voice pulled me back into reality and I straightened up in my seat. Daydreaming was over. I looked over at Hugo, expecting him to be sweating or nervous; he wasn't. He looked perfectly comfortable. Now _that_ was different.

"I'm lucky to have a staff so open-minded," he commented, "And luckier enough that a lot of them decided to come with me. It's a new experience for everybody."

"Not something you will be used to," I interjected. "Meaning, not the usual type of guests you typically service."

Hugo laughed and raised a hand. "Trust me, I know. My staff and I are prepared."

I cast a sideways glance at Joanna, indicating, I was ready to check out again. This was too easy. He was in. I practically had no work to do.

The meeting wrapped up earlier than usual, us shaking his hands and giving the usual "Looking forward to working together" speech.

Back in the car, Joanna exhaled. "Well, that went unusually well."

"Relax, it's actually kind of nice we have somebody who's willing to comply. All the other ones had all these staffing issues and their own conditions, it's nice to work with somebody who can go with the flow." I ignored the seatbelt, though Joanna had hers on, which I got a kick out of. A six hundred year old vampire acting mortal, especially somebody like her.

"So what is it you wanted to tell me?" I brought up. Before she could respond, a ding sound went off from her phone, indicating a text. "One sec," she murmured, picking it up and checking the screen. There it was again- that look of panic. Her eyes were shifting, meaning she was reading something.

"Joanna?" I interrupted her thoughts. She snapped out of her trance and glanced at me. "Uh, nothing important. It can wait. Anyway…" Joanna started the car. "Are you going out tonight?"

"J," I pressed, not taking my eyes off of her, though I knew she was avoiding mine. "You've been acting weird since yesterday. What is going on?"

"Alex, _nothing_. It's just business stuff. Honestly, nothing for you to worry about," she insisted, eyes on the road.

"You literally told me you had to tell me something," I continued, an annoyed edge to my tone. I couldn't help it. Why was she keeping secrets from me?

"Like I said, business." Joanna's voice grew hard now. "Drop it."

"J…"

"You heard me, Alexander."

There she went with the full name. "Fine," I muttered, feeling like a child who hadn't gotten his way. I crossed my arms and looked the other way. It wasn't business. She would've told me. Goddamn it, it was my business too. It had to do with her maker. Something was going on, and whether she liked it or not, I would find out.

* * *

JOANNA

 _I'll be arriving tomorrow evening. I'll text you when I land for your address. -Eric_

This was way sooner than I had wanted. I had stupidly hoped Eric would give me time to break it to Alex that he was about to meet a member of his bloodline for the first time. Instead, this put an extra load of pressure on me. Ideally, I would have a few days before he showed up to talk to Alex, give him at least a vague history lesson of our bloodline- who Eric was and who Godric was, at least. After all, Godric and Eric were the reasons I had left Alex to man the beginnings of a Vessel Tower in New Orleans, something I knew he longed to get answers for. I hated myself for being that type of maker- the kind who sheltered, protected. He may have been like my child, but in truth, he wasn't. He was a grown man who had the right to know things, especially about his own family. And I was the one keeping him from that.

Back home, Alex washed up and changed and went out again. To do what, I had no idea. I didn't ask. Yes I was protective, but I didn't want to be that much of a mother. He could take care of himself, as far as I knew. I sat at my desk, held my phone up to face, and stared at the green bubble of Eric's text, feeling like a teenager trying to create the perfect response.

 _"Ok." No, no. "Okay." No, why spell it out when it's only two letters? But "ok" is cold. But that's what I want to be. Or do I?_

"I hate you," I muttered, knowing full well he couldn't actually hear me. And better he didn't; the downside of being your maker's former lover is that they take statements like that as an expression of affection. And if anyone truly knew Eric Northman, he'd most certainly take it as one. And then some…

 _"Godric would be happy to see you," Eric murmured. We were in his room at the Hotel Carmilla in Dallas. He was sitting on the bed and I was standing in front of his window, arms crossed, thinking about my progeny who was hundreds of miles away, having to do all the work for Vessel Towers alone. I had left him, claiming I had some vampire business to attend to under the orders of the Authority, and he had taken it, though I knew he didn't entirely believe me. It was rare I lied to him and even when I tried, he saw right through, a quality only he and Eric had._

 _"If he's alive," I quipped, looking the other way. "At least… I hope he is." Otherwise, all of this had been for nothing._

 _"He is. I would know if he wasn't." I didn't look at Eric. I couldn't. Would anybody believe this was the first time in almost a century I was actually seeing him, not just occasionally speaking through the phone? He hadn't changed much, physically nor personality-wise._

 _"Why am I here, Eric?" I asked. "Why do you need me to look with you?"_

 _"It wasn't exactly my plan," he began, and I heard a shift in movement. "But when I found out Louisiana was the next state you were tackling"-_

 _"You could've contacted me anytime," I interrupted, whipping around. "Like you so do, to my irritation."_

 _Eric raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Irritation? Don't make me laugh, sweetheart. I know you love hearing from me."_

 _I ignored his comment. "Why couldn't you have just had Pam help you?"_

 _"Someone needs to run the business, much like how you have my grandchild run the fort when you're gone." Eric leaned forward. "Except the difference is, my progeny knows about you. Does Alex even know my name?'_

 _I exhaled sharply through my nose and didn't respond, looking down at the floor and not at his blue-eyed gaze. It never got easier, maintaining eye contact in these intense moments with my maker. "You said you wouldn't talk about it," I said quietly, "But you just can't seem to keep your word with me, can you?"_

 _"Don't start." I looked up and nearly fell back. Eric had stood up and was lessening the distance between us. "I gave you my word that I wouldn't go near Alex, but I never promised I wouldn't talk about it."_

 _"You shouldn't. It's not going to change anything._

 _"He's family, Joanna. You're keeping him from his bloodline."_

 _"Don't you dare," I snapped, finally looking back up at him, not intimidated by how he towered over me. "Stop using that as an excuse."_

 _"You're a part of this whether you like it or not," he snapped back._

 _"I didn't want to, that's why I asked you to release me!" I yelled, surprised by the sudden rise in my voice. At that moment, Eric grabbed me by the arms. "And yet you're still here," he spoke, in his deadly calm voice. "Reminding me every time that no matter how hard you try to fight me, you're still mine."_

 _"You don't care about Alex," I spat, glaring at him, feeling stiff in his grip. "You just do this to give yourself some sick satisfaction that you still control me."_

 _"Once again, jumping to the most negative conclusion," Eric responded, not losing his temper. He leaned his face until it was barely two inches from mine. "Five hundred years together, and only now I'm the bad guy to you. With all due respect, I'm not the one trying to isolate myself from family. You are."_

 _"I hate you," I choked, fighting back the onslaught of bloody tears burning behind my eyes. And I did. But it wasn't in the way I wanted to- because he wasn't wrong. I hated him for speaking truths, not for being horrible. Which, if I'm being honest, Eric could be. If I asked any of the people he had come across recently, they would most definitely mention something bad he's done. But I could never hate him for that. Yes, he could be horrible, but not to those he cared for. Not intentionally, anyway…_

 _"Except you don't." Eric's dropped even lower. A smirk was playing on the corners of his mouth. His face had become so close to mine, our noses were almost touching. "And if you did… I'd know exactly how to remedy that."_

A groan escaped my lips, bringing me back to reality. There it was again- my mind torturing me with flashbacks, ninety nine percent of them involving Eric. I squeezed the phone in my hand, afraid I might crush it. I couldn't slip up when he came; I couldn't show weakness. He would come here, finish whatever business he had, "hi-bye" Alex, and be off his merry way. And life would return to normal for us. I hope…

I tossed off an "Okay" in response to his text and put the phone on silent. No more of that tonight. I needed to concentrate. I'd deal with the Viking when he was at my doorstep, _not_ in my thoughts and memories.

* * *

Have I bored any of you yet? I hope not! These beginning chapters are my way of introducing you to Alex and Joanna and slowly incorporating them into the story and their significance. I got a question if Godric is still alive because I added him as a character. Truth be told, the main focus of the story is on the Godric bloodline, involving his progeny and grand progenies and so on. But he will be a part of the story, that I have planned. Please review, follow and favorite if you enjoy, and if you'd like, let me know what you're hoping to see next chapter! xx


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